In 1985, it was announced that the Titanic had been found 560 miles off the Newfoundland coast. It had been missing for 73 years.

Even though it had been missing for more than 73 years, the search for the Titanic had never stopped. The ill-fated luxury liner, billed as the safest ship ever built, left England on April 10, 1912. Her passengers were a mixture of the world’s wealthiest along with immigrants seeking their fortune in America. Four days into her journey, she struck an iceberg, and less than three hours later, sank into the frigid waters of the North Atlantic Ocean.

What fascinated people about the tragedy then was that the ship represented the best in technology at the time. It took the very best of technology 73 years later to discover the Titanic’s final resting place. Teams of scientists from France and the United States joined efforts using state-of-the art sonar and video camera equipment to locate the ship. The efforts had begun in early 1985, but the first visual contact of the sunken ship did not occur until September 1.

Imagine the countless hours and thousands of dollars that went into finding that one lost ship. Even after it was discovered, researchers kept its exact location a secret for fear that treasure-seekers would try to find the ship and steal items from it.

What treasure do you seek? How long would you search for it? Jesus said that the most valuable treasure is the kingdom of Heaven. A person should be willing to give up everything to have it. In Matthew 13:45, 46, Jesus describes a pearl merchant who discovered the most valuable pearl imaginable. When he found it, the merchant sold everything he had to own that pearl.

That’s how we should be when it comes to God’s kingdom. Don’t let anything distract or prevent you from seeking God’s kingdom.

“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!” (Matthew 13:45, 46).

To Do

What does it mean to seek God’s kingdom? Write down three ways you can do that today.

Also on this day

1666—The Great Fire of London was started. Ten thousand buildings were destroyed, but only six people were killed.

1789—The U.S. Treasury Department was established.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.